Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1887-07-15
THE PITCHERS ART.
Curves, Shoots, Raises. and Drops
from the Box.

from the Box.
1t was by slow stages, writes I. H.
Murnane to The Boston Globe, that the
present high standing of the pitchers
art was attained. Arthur Cummings,
a Brooklyn youth, was the first to
bring into use the out curve. He was
known as the boy wonder, back in
1869, with the Stars, of Brooklyn. !
have heard him tell how he first dis
covered the curve. He was pitching
against picked nine one day and no.
ticed the ball curving. He had no diff
ficulty in striking the batsmen out, and
went home that night and tried to
study out the phenomenon. The next
day he invited some gentlemen friends
out to see him work. They laughed at
him. and when he tried to convince
them that he could accomplish what he
claimed, he failed. as no doubt III his
anxiety he sent the ball too fast, and
very little curve can be got on speedy
pitched ball. He was not discouraged,
however. but went out with his catch
er the next day and learned that the
curve came from certain twist he
gave his wrist. He worked hard until
he got good control OF the new move
and then astonishcd the scientific
world. Cummings was of slight build,
his pitching was very graceful, and his
curve was of the sailing kind, much
like Caruthcrs' of the st. Louis
Browns.
In 1872 Avery, the famous Yale
pitcher, discovered the ''in-shoot." |
don't think he could curve bali, at
least never saw him do it, and hit
against his pitching several times. HIS
effectiveness was handicapped by the
inability of his catchers, to hold him,
as without doubt, the "in-shoot' is
the most difficult ball to handle, for in
those days the catchers were not pro-
tected with gloves and masks.
Fred Nichols, better know as Tricky
Nick" was the first to make good use
of the drop ball He was great puz-
zle to the heavy hitters in 1906. At
Bridgeport and New Haven, Conn. +,
Nichols got good drop on the ball,
when pitchers had to keep their hand
below the belt, which would puzzle any
of our twirlers of the present day to
accomplish.
Matthews was undoubtedly the first
pitcher 10 work the raise ball, as far
back as 1869. | never saw him pitch
an out-curve until 1878, and | faced
his pitching for several years before
that. In 1873 Matthews was with the
Worcesters, and pitched against the
Bostons. defeating them. He had
changed his style altogether from pre-
vious years and adopted one-arm Daly' S
style. that is, making a double motion
by drawing back before delivering the
ball. With his handwork and the addi-
ton of the curve he jumped into the
front ranks once more.
The next ball that seemed to bother
the batters was introduced by McCor-
mick, of the Stars, of Syracuse. This
Young pitcher had Mike Dorcan, now
of the New Yorks, for catcher. They
shut out about all the crack clubs OF
the country that paid them Il visit. The
ball he deceived the batsman with was
a raise curve, now used by Radbourn
of the Bostons. He gave his field easy
chances; the out-tield had most of the
work to do off his pitching. | never
saw him pich ball below a man S belt
He mad perfect control of the ball anc
cool head.
The curve drop was first worked by
'the only Noland," at Columbus, O..
in 1876. For several seasons he fooled
the best batsmen.
All these different curves, raises
shoots, and drops were discovered By
different people. 1t is now no unusua
thing to find pitcher with all thes'
points and many more wrinkles that the,
keep working up. Change of pace wa
most beautifully Illustrated by Al Spal
ding in the Old Boston champions
Tim Keefe. of the New Yorks, is nov
the most successful in that line, whil'
Clarkson, of the Chicagos, is also work
ing the change of pace TO good advant
age VIII White and John Ward wer
about the first to work the sharp curv
and '.in-shoot'' as far back rs 1878
One of the greatest pitchers, i. not tn
greatest that ever twrled ball, wa
Charley Sweeney, who was with tn
Providence club in 1884 He was tn
first and only man that | ever saw wh'
could curve an out ball to n left han
batsman. Several of the pitchers ca
get shoot, but his was a clean curve
He has the unequaled record. up to tn
present day, of nineteen strike-outs i
one game.